blood orange salad

When we were in Rome blood oranges were everywhere, and if you ordered orange juice it was usually blood orange juice. We bought them in the market near our apartment everytime we shopped and they were incredibly sweet and juicy. When we got home Bea and I were at the Food Coop and she saw the blood oranges and asked if we could buy more. This salad reminded me of our trip.

BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

2 blood oranges

2 navel oranges

1 small head of bibb or butter lettuce, washed and torn into pieces

1/2 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced, and a few fennel fronds

handful of fresh mint leaves

extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, meyer if possible

coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Slice the top and bottom off the oranges and remove pith and peel following the curve of the fruit so that the pulp is exposed and the outer membrane is removed. (See sectioning citrus if this is confusing.) Slice into rounds. Combine the lettuce, fennel, and mint leaves in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and juice of the lemon. Arrange oranges on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

green salad with fresh figs

If you have not developed a love for figs this is the time of year to try. When ripe they are juicy and sweet, but it is their unique texture that makes them extra special.  This salad is simple enough for everyday but so pretty that it would also be great for a dinner party. I used butter lettuce from the farmer's market as the base. Add figs (cut into halves or quarters), grapefruit sections, and some chopped pistachios. For the dressing I drizzled the salad with extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of grapefruit juice, balsamic glaze, and a little fleur de sel.

To see if figs are ripe press very gently - they should be soft but not be mushy. You will find several varieties at this time of year as well...the most familiar are black mission figs, but the rounder green calimyrna figs are also very delicious. There are several classic ways to eat them as well: paired with prosciutto, or on a crostini with mascarpone and a drizzle of honey, are among my favorites. I also love to eat them alone, or mixed into fruit salads for a little unexpected crunch.

kale salad

I've been noticing raw kale salad on more and more menu's recently but it really caught my attention when I saw this recipe on my friend Andrea Gentl's blog. I was particularly intrigued with the idea of "massaging" the kale with the garlic, salt, and olive oil. I decided to give it a try and it was delicious. I followed Andrea's recipe but I squeezed the juice of half a lemon over it when I served it. Much to my amazement, my kids (who are very anti green leafy vegetable) liked it too.

P.S. When I was in culinary school I learned that finely chopping garlic is a lot easier if you mix some coarse salt into the garlic once it is roughly chopped. It is a good technique for this recipe since it produces a nice uniform mince. 

grapefruit and avocado salad

Grapefruit and avocado is one of my all time favorite combinations. Years ago, before I had a family to feed, a sliced avocado and a carefully segmented grapefruit with a little sea salt sprinkled on top could pass for dinner. No one else in the house would find that satisfactory these days, so now it becomes part of a tossed salad with a little sliced cucumber thrown in as well. I collect the grapefruit juice while segmenting the fruit and use it with a little olive oil and salt and pepper to make the dressing.